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Hain offers £1m in bid to disband UDA

THE Ulster Defence Association and its supporters could receive up to £1m from the British government to wind down the organisation. The loyalist paramilitaries will get the full amount if a six-month pilot project is successful.

Last week Peter Hain, the secretary of state, announced the pilot conflict-transformation scheme for the UDA. It was widely criticised as a “bung” to buy out violence.

But Hain did not mention that £1m has been privately earmarked for the scheme if the first tranche of £135,000 is handled satisfactorily by the paramilitary group. The money will be used to employ six workers who have influence among the UDA’s support base.

Frankie Gallagher of the Ulster Political Research Group (UPRG), the UDA’s political wing, said: “It will allow work to be done by people across six geographic areas. The first stage is to create an environment where paramilitarism is no longer needed.